Pneumatic cleaner.



G. W. ALLEN.

PNEUMATIC CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED 00113, 1913.

1,124,684. Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

g5 WI NESSES 71 NVENTOR ZV QZQ/MM UNITED STATES PATENT ornion.

GEORGE W. ALLEN, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNGR TO B. F. .STU'RTEVANT COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OFMASS ACHUSETTS.

PNEUMATIC oLnANEn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

Application filed October 13. 1913. Serial No. 794,841.

vented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Cleaners; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains'to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to pneumatic cleaners, and more particularly to portable, motor-driven, suction cleaners.

One object of the present invention is to improve the construction of the suction fan so as to provide air cooling for the motor and also to better balance the fan.

Another object of the invention is to improve the construction of the dust collector so as to present a large air filtering surface and at the same time to keep the size of the dust collector conveniently small.

Another object of the invention is to improve'the means of attaching the dust bag to the removable cover of the dust bag chamber.

Another obiect of the invention is to construct and pohitijon the cleaner'nozzle so as 'to permit the cleaner to clean under radiators, or low articles of furniture.

Still another object ofthe invention is to provide an. improved handle and handle connection for the cleaner.

lVith the above objects in view, the pres ent invention consists in the pneumatic cleaner hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation; F ig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section of thepcleaner; Fig. 4E is a view of the inside of the front cover; and Fig. 5 is'a front view of the fan, the section'along which the cross section of the fan shown in Fig. 1 is taken, being indicated by the line l1.

drawings is of the portable, self-contained, motor-driven type. a

The cleaner comprises at the front a dust '10 which fits against the end The pneumatic cleaner illustrated in the collector 1, behind it a suction fan, or air pump 2, and behind the fan an electric motor 3 for driving it. These are contained in the cleaner casing which comprises a cylindrical dust-bag-containing shell 4: and a removable front cover 5, a fan casing 6, and a motor casing 7. The cylindrical drum or shell 4 is formed of sheet aluminum and is secured by rivets at its rear end to the fan casing 6 which is cast aluminum. Bolted to the rear of the fan casing 6 is the motor casing 7, also of cast aluminum. The front of the cylindrical sheet metal drum or-shell 4. is finished by means of an internally flanged collar or ring 8' which is secured within the end of the shell. The front cover 5 has a rearwardly extending annular flange 9 which fits over the end of the sheet metal drum 4. The inner face of the front cover 5 is provided with an annular rubber gasket of the drum 4 to form a dust tight closure. The front cover 5 is held in place by means of swing bolts and thumb nuts. 11 which are hinged to the sides of the drum 4 and fit into slotted ears 1?. on the sides of the front cover.

The rear of the cleaner is supported by means of two rubber-tired Wheels 20 carried upon the ends of an axle 21- Which is carried beneath the motor casing 7. The front of the cleaner is supported by means of the nozzle 22, the weight of the-cleaner servinglower end of the front cover 5 is provided with a nipple 24 through which passes the intake opening 25 for the dust laden air.

The rear .end of the nozzle piece 22 -is externally tapered to fit into the internally tapered mouth of the nipple 24 so that when 1 the cleaner is ordinarily. used,'the nozzle piece 22 is frictionally connected directly with the front cover 5-. v

In order to adapt the cleaner for cleaning the floor beneath radiators and low articles of furniture, an'extension pipe 26 is provided. -This extension pipe fits in the end of the nipple 24 and carries on its forward end the nozzle piece 22. Since the nipple '24 is at the extreme lower edge of the front cover 5, the nozzle can be passed under articles having only a very few inches clearance above thefloor. While the extension pipe 26 may be of any convenient length, it is found that the most satisfactory length for ordinary household purposes is about two feet I The dust collector 1 comprises a cloth dust bag 30 which is loosely gathered over a wire cage 31 and is inclosed in a cylindrical dust bag chamber formed by the cylindrical sheet 'metal drum 4, the front cover 5 and a screen 32 at the rear. The inlet passage curves up from the mouth of the nipple 24 so that the,inlet passage opens on the inside of the front cover 5 near its center. Surrounding the mouth of the inlet 25 is a rearwardly extendingannular flange The mouth of the dust bag is renfovably secured around tli istlan'ge by means of a dust bag ring or collar 34.

This dust bag ring 34 has a cylindricalpart 35 which fits loosely around the flange 33 dust bag, the flange 37 has two oppositely" disposed cut-away portions 39. When the dust bag is put in-place, the dust bag ring 34 is slipped over the flange 33, the cut-away portions 39 fitting inside the thumb nuts I 38. Then the ring is given a partial rotation until the edge of the flange is turned beneath the. thumb nuts 38 which are turned up to clamp the dust bag ring in place.

This provides a simple and cheap device for removably holding the dust bag in place.

rings and 51 at the front and rear ends The cage 31 is-cylindrical in outline of about the same diameter as the flange 33 and nearly equal in length to the dust bag chamber. The cage is madeby two wire I respectively which are connected by a numwires 52.

within theflange 33 and is-secured thereto ber of longitudinally extending, parallel The front end of the cage fits by means of riveted staples passing "through the flange. The dust bag 30 is of considerably greater diameter than the cage 31 although it is somewhatsmaller in diameter than the shell 4. The dust bag when removed and fully extended is'four or" five tlIllGSElS long as the cage 31, so that, as

shown in the drawings, when the dust bag is in. place it is gathered @or puckered over a the cage 31; In puttingthe dust baginto the cleaner, the dust bag ring 34 is first secured to the front cover and then the dust bag is gathered or puckered over the cage 31, after which the cover with the attached dust bag is applied and clamped in place by the swing bolts and thumb nuts 11. Since the cage 31 reaches nearly to the screen -32, the dust bag is prevented, from coming off the .end of the cage by means of the screen 32. The cage 31 serves to keepthe dust bag partially distended at all times and to preserve a "more uniform lengthwise gathering or puckering of the bag and prevent it from becoming bunched at any one portion.

When the fan is running, the air distends the dust bag substantiallyi as shown in the drawing and when so distended the dust bag, by virtue of the manner in which 'it is gathered, presents a much larger filtering area of cloth than would a bag of approximately the length of the dust bag chamber. This allows the air to be more easily drawn through the cleaner and at the same time as eifectively separates the dust therefrom. The filtered air from the dust bag chamber passes to the center of the fan through an inlet 60 inthe front wall of the fan casing. The air is discharged from the periphery of the fan into a scroll-schaped discharge chamber .61 terminating in a discharge nozzle 62 at the top of the cleaner.

The fan-2 consists of a fiat circular web and curved air-impelling blades 71 and 72 formed on the front andrear facesof the web respectively.- The fan is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5. The blades 71 radiate from the central hub being curved backwardly as they near the periphery of the fan. The

blades 79 are similar injshape to the blades 71 except thatyas shown in Fig. 3, they are.

much shallower. The fan is mounted on the forward end of the motor shaft 73. The rear end of the motor casing has an air inlet opening therein and the front wall of the motor casing, which forms'the rear wall ofthe fan casing, has thei'ein a small opening or air passage 76 near-the 'center'of the fan. The passagev 76" serves as an inlet opening 72;which cause a clrculation of air as indi-j cated by the arrows through the openings 75 and 76, to air cool the ,motor. The air suoKed through the motor by the blades 7 2 is discharged into the common discharge chamber 61. The construction of the fan "in which the shallow motor-ventilating blades 7 2 are formed on the rear, face not only forms I a convenient and econom cal construction for air coollngthe motor,- but for the shallow blades I also forms a construction in which the fanis better balanced'as regards end thrus,. The reaction of the air against the front blades 71 tends to set up an end'thrustof *the shaft 73 in its bearings. This end thrust ispartly'compens'ated by a similar and opposite end thrust-causedby the reaction of the air drawn through the motor against the rear fan blades 72.

The cleaner is drawn back and forth across the floor to be cleaned by means of a handle 80, which is hinged to thecleaner casing. Cast integral with the top of the fan casing 6 are two, backwardly extending ears 81 and 82 which are bored and through which is passed a pintle pin 83, one end of which is headed and which is removably retained in place by means of a cotter pin 86 passed through its other end. A second pintle pin 84 extends between the two cars 81 and 82 and forms a pivot fora latch 85.

The lower-end, of the handle is bifurcated" to form two projections or ears 90 and 91 which fit'inside of the ears 81- and 82 and are loosely mounted to turn about-the pintle pin 83. The ears 90 and 91 have two pins 92 and 93' extending between them in position to be "engaged by the latch 85. When the cleaner is in use, the pin 92 is engaged ,by

the latch 85, as shown in Fig. 3, so thatthe handle is inclined at about to the horizontal and the cleaner can be tilted up on its wheels for more convenient manipulaa tion. When the cleaner is not in use, the latch 85 may be lifted by pressing down with the foot on the toe piece 94 to release the latch and the handle may be lifted so that the pin 93 is engaged by the latch to hold the handle upright over the cleaner, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and thus economize space. a

' The handle 80 is ma'de in two parts, one a sleeve 100 which is permanently secured to the machine and a removable part 101 which forms the main length of the handle.

-As shown in the drawings, the upper part of the handle is broken away. The removable portionlOl of'the handle is about three or four feet long. The hinged ears 90and 91 are formed integrally on the lower part of' the sleeve 100. The upper part of the sleeve is split, as shown .in Fig. 2, and is tightened by means of a screw 102 passing through the ears 103 to clamp the remov able handle 101 in the sleeve. A lug 10. .on the back of the lower part of the removable portion. 101 serves to properly position it with relation to the sleeve 100. In the sleeve 100 is a block of hard rubber insulation 105 from which projects into the open upper "end of the a sleeve two contact plugs 106 which are connected to the motor-3 by means of the wires 107 which emerge from the lower end of the sleeve between the cars 90 and 91. These ears 90 and 91 serve to protest the wires 107 and decrease the chance of accidental breakage. In the lower end of theremovable handle 101 is a block of hard rubber insulation holding two'socket members-108 in which fit the plugs 10 6. The

-* socket members 108 are connected to wires to a flexible electric cord which is connected with a base board'plug, electric light socket, or other source of current. The removable portion of the handle is easily taken off so that the cleaner can be more easily stored when not in use.

\Vhile the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been specifically illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to its illustrated embodiment, but may be embodied in other constructions within the pur view of the invention as set forthin the following claims I claim- 1. A pneumatic cleaner having, in combination, a dust collector, an electric motor, and a motor-driven fan comprising a circular web, blades on one face of the web for drawing air through the dust collector and shallow blades on the otherface of the web for ,air cooling the motor, substantially as described; v

2. A pneumatic cleaner having, in combination, a dust collector, an electricmotor,

and a motor-driven fan comprising one set of blades for causing air to pass through the dustcollector and a second and independent nation, a dust collector, an electric motor,

and a motor-driven fan intermediate the dust collector and motor, said fan having on its end next the. dust collector one set of blades and having on its end next the motor a'second set of shallow blades, an aiir inlet leadipg from the dust collector tothe center of the fan to deliver air to the first "set of blades, 0. second air inlet operiing from the motor casing to deliver air drawn through the motor tothe second set of blades, and. a common .outlet chamber around the periphery of the fan for receiving the air discharged from both-sets of blades, s'ubstantially as described.

5. A pneumatic cleaner having, in combination, an air pump, a dustcollector comprising a dust bag'chambenhaving atone end an inlet for dust laden air, and at-the other end ascreened outlet for the filtered" air,'a cage secured to the',-inside of the dust bag chamber and "surrounding the inlet and extending nearly to the screened outlet, and a dust'bag having its mouthsecuredaround the inlet-and .inclosing the cage, saidldust,

bag having a diameter greater than the cage and less than the dust bag chamber and hav- &

ing a length considerably greater than the dust bag chamber so as to permit the dust bag to be gathered on the cage-and held gathered by contact with the screened outlet of the dust bag chamber, substantially as described.

. 6. A pneumatic cleaner having, in combination, an air pump, a dustcollector comprising a dust bag chamber having an inlet at one end for dust laden air, a cage surrounding the inlet and extending substantially the length of the dust bag chamber, and a dust bag having its mouth surrounding the inlet and inclosing thecage, said dust bag having a diameter greater than that of the cage and less' than that of the dust bag chamber and having a length greater than that of the dust bag chamber so as to permit the dust bag to be gathered on the cage and held gathered by contact with the end wall of the chamber, substantially as described.

7. A pneumatic cleaner having, in combination, an air pump, a dust collector comprising a dust bag chamberhaving a removable cover provided with an inlet opening for dust laden air and an inwardly projecting annular flange surrounding said opening, pins provided-with thumb screwsprojectin'gfrom the cover and spaced a little distance from the outside of the flange, a dust bag, and an annular dust bag ring or. collar ofsubstantially L-shaped cross section having a cylindrical portion surrounding the flange and an outwardly extending and an auxiliary intake through the motor casing so as to cause the fan to have the combined ftfnction of drawing dust laden air into the dust collector and of drawing clean air through the motor casingto cool the mo- 7 tor, substantially as described.

, A pneumatic cleanerhaving, in combination, an air pump, and a dust collector comprising a dust bag chamber, a dust bag in the chamber of greater length than the chamber gathered lengthwise by contact with the end of the chamber, and a distender withinthe dust bag for maintaining the dust bag distended laterally within the chamber and securing a more uniform lengthwise gathering of the dust bag, said distender extending substantially the entire length of the dust-bag chamber, substantially as de-- scribed. i

10. A pneumatic cleaner havingain com bina-tion, an air pump, a dust collector c0m-' prising a cylindrical dust bag chamber, having an inlet at oneend for the dust laden air and having a discharge outlet at the opposite end for the filtered air, a dust" bag having its mouth secured around the inletg said dust bag being cylindrical in. shape; and: of somewhat less diameter than the diameter of the dust bag chamber and of greater length than the length of the dusti bag chamber so that when the dust bag is placed in the dust bag chamber it is gathered lengthwise between the ends of the dust I bag chamber, and a wire distending device within the dust bag for maintaining the dust bag laterally distended and securing a i more uniform lengthwise gathering of the dust bag, said distending device extending substantially the entire length of the dustbag chamber, substantially as described. v

11. A pneumatic cleaner' having, in combination, an a1r pump, and a dust collector comprising a cylindrical dust bag chamber I having at one end a removable front cover with an inlet for dust laden air through it and having at the opposite end an outlet for the filtered air and a guard over the outlet,

a dust bag removably secured to the 'front cover with its mouth around the inlet, said dust bag being cylindrical in shape andof greater length. than the length of the dust bag chamber so as to be lengthwise com.-.

pressed or gatheredby contact with the outlet guard when the dust "bag is secured to the front cover and placed in the dust bag chamher, and a distender for maintaining the dust bag laterally distended to substantially fill the dust bag chamber and to secure a more uniform lengthwise gathering of the dust bag fabric, said distender extending Isgubstantially the entire length of the dustfig chamber between the front cover 'and' the dutlet guard, substantially as described. I

12. A pneumatic cleaner, having, in' com 'binatlon, afan, a fan caslng, anelectrlc motor for driving the fan, a motor casing, a main air passage leading to and from the fan casing, a dust collector located in said air passage, and a second and independent air passage leading through thetmotor casing to thefan casing so that ai-rma'ybe drawn through the motor casing and into the fan casing to cool the motor, substanf 13. A pneumatic cleaner, having, in com I tially as described.

bination, a fan, a fan casing having anop'enin'g'on one side of greater diameter than the diameter of the fan,- a motor casing having its front wall at apted to be secured to the fan casing and to close the opening therein, said wall of the motpr casing being provided with an air passage and said casing having an opening to the outer air, a motor located in the casing and having -a shaftpassing through the said wall and into the fan casing and carrying the fan mounted thereon, a dust collector, and an air passage connecting the dust collector and the fan asing, substantially as described.

14. A pneumatic cleaner, having, in combination, a fan, a fan casing, a dust'colle'ctor connected with the fan casing, an electric motor for driving the fan, and a motor casing open at one end and communicating at the other end with the fan casing, so that the fan may cause air to pass through the motor casing to cool the motor, substantially as described.

15/ A pneumatic cleaner, having, in combination, a fan, a fan casing having an opening on one side of greater diameter than the diameter of the fan and having an air inlet opening on the opposite side, a motor casing having its front Wall adapted to be secured to the fan casing and to close the opening therein, a motor located in the casing and having a shaft passing through the Wall and into the fan casing and carrying the fan mounted thereon, and a dust collector secured tothe fan casing on the opposite side y from the motor casing and communicating twith the fan casing through the inlet opening, substantially as described.

open at its rear,

. casing an therewith,

16. A pneumatic cleaner, having, in combination, a fan, a and an inlet opening on its front side and a motor casinghaving a front wall adapted to be secured to the rear of the fan casing to close the same, a motor located in the motor casing for actuating the fan, and a cylindrical dust collector secured to the flange on the front of the fan d communicating with the fan cas ing through the inlet opening, substantially as described.

17. A pneumatic cleaner, having, in combination, a fan, a fan casing having an inlet opening on its front and open at its rear, a cylindrical dust collector secured to the front of the fan casing and substantially co-axial a cylindrical motor casing of less diameter than the fan casing and having its front Wall extended in the form of a flange and adapted to be secured to the rear of the L fan casing substantially co-aXial therewith to close the same, and a motor in the motor casing for actuating the fan, substantially as described.

GEORGE W. ALLEN. Witnesses:

GEo. E. STEBBINs, MIRIAM CLEMENT.

fan casing having a flange 

